5 Reasons Why I Am Happy Omar Infante Is An All Star

When Charlie Manuel put Omar Infante on his All Star Roster while leaving players like Billy Wagner, Jaime Garcia, Stephen Strasburg and Joey Votto off, the uproar from columnists and bloggers was so loud that you would have thought he punched Yogi Berra in the face right after tearing down Wrigley Field and ordering that "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" be replaced by Lady Gaga's Pokerface.

I even got mail and comments saying "When are you going to say something about Omar Infante?"

Yes, it was a surprising choice.

And a quick glimpse at the Braves Baseball Reference page for 2010 doesn't even list Infante as a starter. There is a Brave player who has started more games at each position than Infante, whose position is listed as UT. In other words a utility man is an All Star.

Well I must say, while I admit he wasn't on MY All Star Ballot, I don't mind that he is an All Star. And let me tell you why...

1. HE'S MULTI TALENTED

While he can't be listed at one position, he IS a starter for the Braves... he's someone who has started a six different positions in the field.

There are some players, like my beloved Big Papi, who can't even play one position on the field. Maybe the inclusion of Infante can help make the super versatile players more valued by teams and players will try and move around the diamond in hopes of making the All Star team.

2. HE ACTUALLY WILL BE USEFUL IN THE GAME

Remember the last time the National League won the All Star Game, the Yankees were in a 18 year World Series title drought, the Macarena was considered cool and there was hope for the new Star Wars prequels.

The National League hasn't had homefield in the World Series since 2001... when the Diamondbacks won in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7.

Flashy or not, it is useful for Charlie Manuel to have a guy who can fill in all around the diamond when he makes pinch hitting decisions and defensive switches.

Who knows? Maybe he can pitch and we can avoid another tied All Star Game catastrophe.

3. YOU NEED A SCRAPPY JACK OF ALL TRADES WHEN ASSEMBLING A TEAM

I'm not just talking about a baseball team. When Kobyashi was putting together The Usual Suspects or Professor Xavier was assembling the X-Men or Lee Marvin was picking The Dirty Dozen or the team from Munich was being recruited... They can't all be the cool leading man. You need that smaller and less imposing guy who can get stuff done.

Remember when Costner was putting together The Untouchables? The last one he put on the team was Oscar the accountant. He wasn't the leader like Costner or the wise Connery or the bad ass shooter like Andy Garcia... but it was his brains that came up with the idea of pinning Capone on tax evasion. They NEEDED him.

The American League is Capone. Maybe Infante will bring them down.

4. WHY THE FUSS? THIS IS FAR FROM THE WORST ALL STAR SELECTION OF ALL TIME

Kosuke Fukudome got elected to the All Star Game and he has yet to have an above average season. Josh Hamilton started when he was having a mediocre season. Jason Giambi was elected in a year where he was so horrible that Joe Torre left him off the playoff roster.

Jose Rosado made a pair of All Star teams and Roger Pavlik made the 1996 All Star Team with a 4.82 ERA... and Pavlik wasn't a "We need at least one player from each team" selection. He was on a Rangers team.

Infante is at least having a good season. And he's doing it for a surprise first place team... so he must have some value.

5. YOU KNOW HE IS GOING TO APPRECIATE IT

There is going to be no "If I Am Not Startin' I Am Not Departin'" Garry Templeton rant coming from Infante. Heck, at this point I am wondering if Infante thinks his All Star Selection was part of an elaborate of Punk'd.

I know the All Star Team isn't the Make A Wish Foundation but let's face it, it isn't life and death either. By the time Omar Infante gets in the game it will be later... when the benches are being emptied out, the likes of Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter will be in their street clothes and chances are some pitcher you've never heard of will be on the mound.

Why not have a versatile .332 hitter come to the plate?

All this attention has probably made a few Fantasy Players pick him up and hey! Now people know who he is.

Of course the greatest revenge of all could be had by Infante to his critics... and even though I am rooting for the American League, there is a scenario that I would love to see for a National League win... Infante homering in the 9th inning to give the NL the lead.

It's a stretch. But so is Infante making the All Star Game in the first place!

5 Reasons Why I Am Happy Omar Infante Is An All Star

When Charlie Manuel put Omar Infante on his All Star Roster while leaving players like Billy Wagner, Jaime Garcia, Stephen Strasburg and Joey Votto off, the uproar from columnists and bloggers was so loud that you would have thought he punched Yogi Berra in the face right after tearing down Wrigley Field and ordering that "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" be replaced by Lady Gaga's Pokerface.

I even got mail and comments saying "When are you going to say something about Omar Infante?"

Yes, it was a surprising choice.

And a quick glimpse at the Braves Baseball Reference page for 2010 doesn't even list Infante as a starter. There is a Brave player who has started more games at each position than Infante, whose position is listed as UT. In other words a utility man is an All Star.

Well I must say, while I admit he wasn't on MY All Star Ballot, I don't mind that he is an All Star. And let me tell you why...

1. HE'S MULTI TALENTED

While he can't be listed at one position, he IS a starter for the Braves... he's someone who has started a six different positions in the field.

There are some players, like my beloved Big Papi, who can't even play one position on the field. Maybe the inclusion of Infante can help make the super versatile players more valued by teams and players will try and move around the diamond in hopes of making the All Star team.

2. HE ACTUALLY WILL BE USEFUL IN THE GAME

Remember the last time the National League won the All Star Game, the Yankees were in a 18 year World Series title drought, the Macarena was considered cool and there was hope for the new Star Wars prequels.

The National League hasn't had homefield in the World Series since 2001... when the Diamondbacks won in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7.

Flashy or not, it is useful for Charlie Manuel to have a guy who can fill in all around the diamond when he makes pinch hitting decisions and defensive switches.

Who knows? Maybe he can pitch and we can avoid another tied All Star Game catastrophe.

3. YOU NEED A SCRAPPY JACK OF ALL TRADES WHEN ASSEMBLING A TEAM

I'm not just talking about a baseball team. When Kobyashi was putting together The Usual Suspects or Professor Xavier was assembling the X-Men or Lee Marvin was picking The Dirty Dozen or the team from Munich was being recruited... They can't all be the cool leading man. You need that smaller and less imposing guy who can get stuff done.

Remember when Costner was putting together The Untouchables? The last one he put on the team was Oscar the accountant. He wasn't the leader like Costner or the wise Connery or the bad ass shooter like Andy Garcia... but it was his brains that came up with the idea of pinning Capone on tax evasion. They NEEDED him.

The American League is Capone. Maybe Infante will bring them down.

4. WHY THE FUSS? THIS IS FAR FROM THE WORST ALL STAR SELECTION OF ALL TIME

Kosuke Fukudome got elected to the All Star Game and he has yet to have an above average season. Josh Hamilton started when he was having a mediocre season. Jason Giambi was elected in a year where he was so horrible that Joe Torre left him off the playoff roster.

Jose Rosado made a pair of All Star teams and Roger Pavlik made the 1996 All Star Team with a 4.82 ERA... and Pavlik wasn't a "We need at least one player from each team" selection. He was on a Rangers team.

Infante is at least having a good season. And he's doing it for a surprise first place team... so he must have some value.

5. YOU KNOW HE IS GOING TO APPRECIATE IT

There is going to be no "If I Am Not Startin' I Am Not Departin'" Garry Templeton rant coming from Infante. Heck, at this point I am wondering if Infante thinks his All Star Selection was part of an elaborate of Punk'd.

I know the All Star Team isn't the Make A Wish Foundation but let's face it, it isn't life and death either. By the time Omar Infante gets in the game it will be later... when the benches are being emptied out, the likes of Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter will be in their street clothes and chances are some pitcher you've never heard of will be on the mound.

Why not have a versatile .332 hitter come to the plate?

All this attention has probably made a few Fantasy Players pick him up and hey! Now people know who he is.

Of course the greatest revenge of all could be had by Infante to his critics... and even though I am rooting for the American League, there is a scenario that I would love to see for a National League win... Infante homering in the 9th inning to give the NL the lead.

It's a stretch. But so is Infante making the All Star Game in the first place!

How many All Star selections do I agree with?

The All Star selections this year have been some of the strangest and bringing around the most controversy of any year I can remember.

With each roster at 35 players, there really shouldn't be any MAJOR controversy. The top players should be in there and the arguments should be over fringe players.

Alas, this year there are some whoppers of omissions, including Joey Votto, who I had as the starting DH for the National League, and Paul Konerko and Kevin Youkilis, who are both having amazing years.

Now all three are on the "pick the final player" poll (or whatever it is called) but they should have to sing for their supper. They should be in, no questions asked.

Some players that got in that I didn't pick I have no problem with... Matt Thornton, Phil Hughes, Jose Valverde... all having nice years.

And I didn't include David Ortiz nor Victor Martinez on MY list, so I guess you can't accuse me of excessive Red Sox bias!

But I'm not saying anything that isn't taking up hours of talk radio time right now.
I suppose that's why I listed my All Star Roster ahead of the release of the real rosters.

That way I can show it wasn't second guessing. (Although I forgot that Troy Tulowitzki was on the Disabled List. Whoops.)

So let's see which All Stars I agreed with and which ones I didn't.

American League All Stars that I picked as well

(The players voted in by fans)

ROBINSON CANO, Yankees

CARL CRAWFORD, Rays

VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers

JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers

DEREK JETER, Yankees

EVAN LONGORIA, Rays

JOE MAUER, Twins

JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins

ICHIRO SUZUKI, Mariners

(Pitchers and Reserves That I Also Picked)

ELVIS ANDRUS, Rangers

ADRIAN BELTRE, Red Sox

CLAY BUCHHOLZ, Red Sox

JOHN BUCK, Blue Jays

MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers

TREVOR CAHILL, A's

TORII HUNTER, Angels

IAN KINSLER, Rangers

CLIFF LEE, Mariners

JON LESTER, Red Sox
ANDY PETTITTE, Yankees

DAVID PRICE, Rays

MARIANO RIVERA, Yankees

C. C. SABATHIA, Yankees

JOAKIM SORIA, Royals

VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays

American League Players I chose
but didn't make the All Star Roster

ANDREW BAILEY, A's

SHIN SOO CHOO, Indians

FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners

PAUL KONERKO, White Sox

COLBY LEWIS, Rangers

NICK MARKAKIS, Orioles

MIKE NAPOLI, Angels

JARED WEAVER, Angels

KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox

American League Players that made
the All Star Roster that I DIDN'T pick

JOSE BAUTISTA, Blue Jays

FAUSTO CARMONA, Indians

NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers

PHIL HUGHES, Yankees

VICTOR MARTINEZ, Red Sox

DAVID ORTIZ, Red Sox

ALEX RODRIGUEZ, Yankees

MATT THORNTON, White Sox

JOSE VALVERDE, Tigers

TY WIGGINTON, Orioles

National League All Stars that I picked as well

(The players voted in by fans)

RYAN BRAUN, Brewers
ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers
YADIER MOLINA, Cardinals
ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals
HANLEY RAMIREZ, Marlins
DAVID WRIGHT, Mets

(Pitchers and Reserves That I Also Picked)

MARLON BYRD, Cubs
ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres
ROY HALLADAY, Phillies
COREY HART, Brewers
RYAN HOWARD, Phillies
TIM HUDSON, Braves

UBALDO JIMENEZ, Rockies
JOSH JOHNSON, Marlins
TIM LINCECUM, Giants
BRIAN McCANN, Braves
BRANDON PHILLIPS, Reds
SCOTT ROLEN, Reds
TROY TULOWITZKI, Rockies
ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals

National League Players I chose
but didn't make the All Star Roster

HEATH BELL, Padres
R. A. DICKEY, Mets
JAIME GARCIA, Cardinals
DAN HAREN, Diamondbacks
MAT LATOS, Padres
MIGUEL OLIVO, Rockies
ROY OSWALT, Astros
COLBY RASMUS, Cardinals
STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals
JOEY VOTTO, Reds
BILLY WAGNER, Braves
JAYSON WERTH, Phillies

National League Players that made
the All Star Roster that I DIDN'T pick

MICHAEL BOURN, Astros
JONATHAN BROXTON, Dodgers
MATT CAPPS, Nationals
CHRIS CARPENTER, Cardinals
YOVANI GALLARDO, Brewers
MATT HOLLIDAY, Cardinals
OMAR INFANTE, Braves
EVAN MEEK, Pirates
JOSE REYES, Mets
ARTHUR RHODES, Reds
BRIAN WILSON, Giants
CHRIS YOUNG, Diamondbacks


I am voting for Joey Votto and Kevin Youkilis for the final roster spot... although with Youk going down we might have the sore sight of All Star Nick Swisher.

TO BE CONTINUED

How many All Star selections do I agree with?

The All Star selections this year have been some of the strangest and bringing around the most controversy of any year I can remember.

With each roster at 35 players, there really shouldn't be any MAJOR controversy. The top players should be in there and the arguments should be over fringe players.

Alas, this year there are some whoppers of omissions, including Joey Votto, who I had as the starting DH for the National League, and Paul Konerko and Kevin Youkilis, who are both having amazing years.

Now all three are on the "pick the final player" poll (or whatever it is called) but they should have to sing for their supper. They should be in, no questions asked.

Some players that got in that I didn't pick I have no problem with... Matt Thornton, Phil Hughes, Jose Valverde... all having nice years.

And I didn't include David Ortiz nor Victor Martinez on MY list, so I guess you can't accuse me of excessive Red Sox bias!

But I'm not saying anything that isn't taking up hours of talk radio time right now.
I suppose that's why I listed my All Star Roster ahead of the release of the real rosters.

That way I can show it wasn't second guessing. (Although I forgot that Troy Tulowitzki was on the Disabled List. Whoops.)

So let's see which All Stars I agreed with and which ones I didn't.

American League All Stars that I picked as well

(The players voted in by fans)

ROBINSON CANO, Yankees

CARL CRAWFORD, Rays

VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers

JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers

DEREK JETER, Yankees

EVAN LONGORIA, Rays

JOE MAUER, Twins

JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins

ICHIRO SUZUKI, Mariners

(Pitchers and Reserves That I Also Picked)

ELVIS ANDRUS, Rangers

ADRIAN BELTRE, Red Sox

CLAY BUCHHOLZ, Red Sox

JOHN BUCK, Blue Jays

MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers

TREVOR CAHILL, A's

TORII HUNTER, Angels

IAN KINSLER, Rangers

CLIFF LEE, Mariners

JON LESTER, Red Sox
ANDY PETTITTE, Yankees

DAVID PRICE, Rays

MARIANO RIVERA, Yankees

C. C. SABATHIA, Yankees

JOAKIM SORIA, Royals

VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays

American League Players I chose
but didn't make the All Star Roster

ANDREW BAILEY, A's

SHIN SOO CHOO, Indians

FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners

PAUL KONERKO, White Sox

COLBY LEWIS, Rangers

NICK MARKAKIS, Orioles

MIKE NAPOLI, Angels

JARED WEAVER, Angels

KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox

American League Players that made
the All Star Roster that I DIDN'T pick

JOSE BAUTISTA, Blue Jays

FAUSTO CARMONA, Indians

NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers

PHIL HUGHES, Yankees

VICTOR MARTINEZ, Red Sox

DAVID ORTIZ, Red Sox

ALEX RODRIGUEZ, Yankees

MATT THORNTON, White Sox

JOSE VALVERDE, Tigers

TY WIGGINTON, Orioles

National League All Stars that I picked as well

(The players voted in by fans)

RYAN BRAUN, Brewers
ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers
YADIER MOLINA, Cardinals
ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals
HANLEY RAMIREZ, Marlins
DAVID WRIGHT, Mets

(Pitchers and Reserves That I Also Picked)

MARLON BYRD, Cubs
ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres
ROY HALLADAY, Phillies
COREY HART, Brewers
RYAN HOWARD, Phillies
TIM HUDSON, Braves

UBALDO JIMENEZ, Rockies
JOSH JOHNSON, Marlins
TIM LINCECUM, Giants
BRIAN McCANN, Braves
BRANDON PHILLIPS, Reds
SCOTT ROLEN, Reds
TROY TULOWITZKI, Rockies
ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals

National League Players I chose
but didn't make the All Star Roster

HEATH BELL, Padres
R. A. DICKEY, Mets
JAIME GARCIA, Cardinals
DAN HAREN, Diamondbacks
MAT LATOS, Padres
MIGUEL OLIVO, Rockies
ROY OSWALT, Astros
COLBY RASMUS, Cardinals
STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals
JOEY VOTTO, Reds
BILLY WAGNER, Braves
JAYSON WERTH, Phillies

National League Players that made
the All Star Roster that I DIDN'T pick

MICHAEL BOURN, Astros
JONATHAN BROXTON, Dodgers
MATT CAPPS, Nationals
CHRIS CARPENTER, Cardinals
YOVANI GALLARDO, Brewers
MATT HOLLIDAY, Cardinals
OMAR INFANTE, Braves
EVAN MEEK, Pirates
JOSE REYES, Mets
ARTHUR RHODES, Reds
BRIAN WILSON, Giants
CHRIS YOUNG, Diamondbacks


I am voting for Joey Votto and Kevin Youkilis for the final roster spot... although with Youk going down we might have the sore sight of All Star Nick Swisher.

TO BE CONTINUED

Sully Baseball Picks THE AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR ROSTER

The All Star rosters are going to be announced today and inevitably there will be a lot of people ticked off at the results.

And there will be people angry at the popularity contest that is the fan votes.

And also people will hate that every team needs to be represented.

All predictable reactions…
But I am not going to bitch and moan. Or at least not yet. I am going to assemble my All Star Roster for the American League and post it before the real one is announced.

And I will use the current All Star rules.
In other words the starting line up will be as voted by the fans and each team will indeed have a representative.

I'll pick 24 reserves and pitchers for the AL.

And seeing that homefield advantage in the World Series is on the line, I am putting together a teamwith a shot to win.

So let's put together the 2010 American League All Star Team...

THE 2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM
(As Picked By The Staff of Sully Baseball)

STARTING LINEUP
(Based on Current Voting Standings)

CATCHER - JOE MAUER, Minnesota

FIRST BASEMAN - JUSTIN MORNEAU, Minnesota





SECOND BASEMAN - ROBINSON CANO, New York





SHORTSTOP - DEREK JETER, New York





THIRD BASEMAN - EVAN LONGORIA, Tampa Bay





LEFT FIELDER - CARL CRAWFORD, Tampa Bay





CENTER FIELDER - JOSH HAMILTON, Texas





RIGHT FIELDER - ICHIRO SUZUKI, Seattle





DESIGNATED HITTER - VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Texas





PITCHERS and RESERVES
(As selected by the Staff of Sully Baseball)

STARTING PITCHER - DAVID PRICE, Tampa Bay





ADDITIONAL PITCHERS

ANDREW BAILEY, Oakland
CLAY BUCHHOLZ, Boston
TREVOR CAHILL, Oakland
FELIX HERNANDEZ, Seattle
CLIFF LEE, Seattle
JON LESTER, Boston
COLBY LEWIS, Texas
ANDY PETTITTE, New York
MARIANO RIVERA, New York
CC SABATHIA, New York
JOAKIM SORIA, Kansas City
JARED WEAVER, Los Angeles



ADDITIONAL POSITION PLAYERS

ELVIS ANDRUS, Texas
ADRIAN BELTRE, Boston
JOHN BUCK, Toronto
MIGUEL CABRERA, Detroit
TORII HUNTER, Los Angeles
IAN KINSLER, Texas
PAUL KONERKO, Chicago
NICK MARKAKIS, Baltimore
MIKE NAPOLI, Los Anegeles
SHIN-SOO CHOO, Cleveland
VERNON WELLS, Toronto
KEVIN YOUKILIS, Boston



There you have it.
Each team is represented and each position has an able back up. The rotation and bullpen are deep and there is a pair of reserve catchers.

You might be asking, "Now dear Sully, why are you only doing the American League?"

Because I am tired and I want to go to bed.

Sully Baseball Picks THE AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR ROSTER

The All Star rosters are going to be announced today and inevitably there will be a lot of people ticked off at the results.

And there will be people angry at the popularity contest that is the fan votes.

And also people will hate that every team needs to be represented.

All predictable reactions…
But I am not going to bitch and moan. Or at least not yet. I am going to assemble my All Star Roster for the American League and post it before the real one is announced.

And I will use the current All Star rules.
In other words the starting line up will be as voted by the fans and each team will indeed have a representative.

I'll pick 24 reserves and pitchers for the AL.

And seeing that homefield advantage in the World Series is on the line, I am putting together a teamwith a shot to win.

So let's put together the 2010 American League All Star Team...

THE 2010 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STAR TEAM
(As Picked By The Staff of Sully Baseball)

STARTING LINEUP
(Based on Current Voting Standings)

CATCHER - JOE MAUER, Minnesota

FIRST BASEMAN - JUSTIN MORNEAU, Minnesota





SECOND BASEMAN - ROBINSON CANO, New York





SHORTSTOP - DEREK JETER, New York





THIRD BASEMAN - EVAN LONGORIA, Tampa Bay





LEFT FIELDER - CARL CRAWFORD, Tampa Bay





CENTER FIELDER - JOSH HAMILTON, Texas





RIGHT FIELDER - ICHIRO SUZUKI, Seattle





DESIGNATED HITTER - VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Texas





PITCHERS and RESERVES
(As selected by the Staff of Sully Baseball)

STARTING PITCHER - DAVID PRICE, Tampa Bay





ADDITIONAL PITCHERS

ANDREW BAILEY, Oakland
CLAY BUCHHOLZ, Boston
TREVOR CAHILL, Oakland
FELIX HERNANDEZ, Seattle
CLIFF LEE, Seattle
JON LESTER, Boston
COLBY LEWIS, Texas
ANDY PETTITTE, New York
MARIANO RIVERA, New York
CC SABATHIA, New York
JOAKIM SORIA, Kansas City
JARED WEAVER, Los Angeles



ADDITIONAL POSITION PLAYERS

ELVIS ANDRUS, Texas
ADRIAN BELTRE, Boston
JOHN BUCK, Toronto
MIGUEL CABRERA, Detroit
TORII HUNTER, Los Angeles
IAN KINSLER, Texas
PAUL KONERKO, Chicago
NICK MARKAKIS, Baltimore
MIKE NAPOLI, Los Anegeles
SHIN-SOO CHOO, Cleveland
VERNON WELLS, Toronto
KEVIN YOUKILIS, Boston



There you have it.
Each team is represented and each position has an able back up. The rotation and bullpen are deep and there is a pair of reserve catchers.

You might be asking, "Now dear Sully, why are you only doing the American League?"

Because I am tired and I want to go to bed.

Filling out my All Star Ballot

It's that time of year again... time to fill out our All Star Ballots and give the power to the people.

And with that power comes the insane picks that made Jason Giambi an All Star starter despite being benched on his own team in 2004... or mediocre Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta being voted in as a starter in 2006.

It is a wonderful theory to have fans vote in players, but often times they will either simply punch in players that play for THEIR team, players they recognize or people who have had good first halves of the season.

So the staff here at Sully Baseball decided to fill out three All Star Ballots with three different sets of Ballots. And each one will have a different criteria for why each player is getting at least one vote.

I filled them out at Dodger Stadium this weekend with a little help from my friend, the Emmy winning writer and comedian Dan Cronin.

BALLOT ONE: The Players I WANT To See Play Ballot

I believe the All Star Game should be filled with players who are having a good year and will be exciting to see. By that I mean a STAR. If the National League is throwing Tim Lincecum on the mound, I want him facing down a star American League player... not someone that an egg head with a calculator tells me has a higher VORP than the league average.

Yeah I know Derek Jeter isn't having his best season... I want to see him face Halladay, Jimenez and Santana.

Is that subjective? Sure... but it's my ballot. You don't like it, get your own.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Catcher - ROD BARAJAS, Mets
His 10 homers leads all big league catchers.

First Base - ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals
He's had a bad May, but when the season is over, he'll be in the MVP discussion.

Second Base - CHASE UTLEY, Phillies
10 homers, .307 average and a 1.016 OPS gets the nod over Dan Uggla.

Shortstop - HANLEY RAMIREZ, Marlins
Let's see some hustle out there, Hanley!

Third Base - RYAN ZIMMERMAN, Nationals
A lot of good third basemen to pick from, I'll go with Zimmerman because he's done it over a full season.

Left Fielder - RYAN BRAUN, Brewers
His .324 average, .928 OPS and 30 RBI are among the lone highlights of this Brewers season.

Center Fielder -MARLON BYRD, Cubs
A solid center fielder hitting with power and a good average. A good Cubs signing? What are the chances?

Right Fielder -JAYSON WERTH, Phillies
If Andre Ethier wasn't hurt, he'd get my vote. Heck, Ethier might win the MVP. But for now, the healthy Werth with his .327 average, 1.048 OPS and 9 homers gets the nod.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Cather - JOE MAUER, Twins
The defending AL MVP is earning his dough with a .346 average and a .911 OPS

First Base - JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins
Morneau leads the AL in hitting, OPS and is only 3 homers away from the home run lead.

Second Base - ROBINSON CANO, Yankees
A .335 hitters with a .956 OPS and 9 homers, Cano is becoming the next Yankee superstar.

Shortstop - DEREK JETER, Yankees
His stats will be there when the season ends. Who would rather see? Jeter or Yuniesky Betancourt?

Third Base - EVAN LONGORIA, Rays
Calm down Yankee fans. Longoria is putting up better numbers than A-Rod. Besides, I'm starting Jeter and Cano!

Left Fielder - CARL CRAWFORD, Rays
Hitting .322 for a terrific team is a smart move on his walk year.

Center Fielder - VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays
The comeback player of the year? 11 homers already to go with a .944 OPS.

Right Fielder - ICHIRO SUZUKI, Mariners
His .352 average, second in the AL, is the lone bright spot for the Mariners this year.

Designated Hitter - VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers
Think the angels could use 10 homers, a .339 average and a .927 OPS?

BALLOT TWO: The First Time All Star Ballot

For some players, going to the Midseason Classic is old hat. For everyone on THIS ballot, it is their first time going and a chance to finally have the title All Star attached to their name.

Some of these names surprised me that they weren't All Stars. But, according to Baseball Reference they weren't... and why would Baseball-Reference lie to me?

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Catcher - ROD BARAJAS, Mets
Yup, he is on two of my ballots. A smart move by Omar Minaya.

First Base - JOEY VOTTO, Reds
Leads all qualifying NL first basemen in hitting and OPS and has 10 homers to boot.

Second Base - KELLY JOHNSON, Diamondbacks
How does this guy have 12 homers already? And why did the Braves give up on him?

Shortstop - STEPHEN DREW, Diamondbacks
A playoff hero in 2007, Drew is flirting with .300 as a regular.

Third Base - CASEY McGEHEE, Brewers
He leads the NL in RBI and is only one behind Miguel Cabrera for the best in baseball.

Left Fielder - JOSH WILLINGHAM, Nationals
Has some power and a flair for the dramatic. He also has a .929 OPS as well.

Center Fielder -MARLON BYRD, Cubs
Like Barajas, is on both ballots. His signing slid under the radar last off season.

Right Fielder - JASON HEYWARD, Braves
Probably the first of many All Star selections.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Cather - JOHN BUCK, Blue Jays
The main piece in the Carlos Beltran trade is leading AL Catchers in homers... just not with the Royals!

First Base - KENDRY MORALES, Angels
I had to double check, but Morales is indeed an All Star virgin.

Second Base - TY WIGGINTON, Orioles
Not sure what position to put him in... but his 13 homers and .960 OPS deserves a spot on the team.

Shortstop - ELVIS ANDRUS, Rangers
Think the Braves are regretting the Mark Teixera trade?

Third Base - ADRIAN BELTRE, Red Sox
Nope, Beltre has never been an All Star before. His .335 average merits a spot now.

Left Fielder - SHIN-SOO CHOO, Indians
Think the Mariners could use his left handed swing with power now? Cleveland is happy to have him.

Center Fielder - AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers
With Granderson hurt and Jackson hitting, not a lot of people are complaining about that trade now!

Right Fielder - JOSE BAUTISTA, Blue Jays
Did you know he was currently tied with Paul Konerko for most homers in the big leagues?

Designated Hitter - JOSE GUILLEN, Royals
Surprisingly, Guillen, with his 11 homers and 31 RBI, would be a first time All Star as well.

BALLOT THREE: The Anti All Star Ballot

The final ballot I like to call my "Sanjaya Ballot." Basically I am trying to find the absolute worst combination of players. Inevitably you will see there are players on the All Star Ballot who are barely even playing. They don't have a crystal ball handy when they make up the ballots so they don't know who is going to get hurt, stink up the joint or need psychiatric treatment.

So I found what I think is the best combination of players who are either off to awful starts, are hurt or got cut from their teams... and seeing one or two of these guys get elected might prompt baseball to reconsider the whole "Let Fans Vote" thing.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

Cather - J. R. TOWLES, Astros
He has only 9 hits all year and he is hitting .191 with no power. But he DOES have 8 RBI... a pretty good hit to RBI ratio!

First Base - JEFF CLEMENT, Pirates
The Pirates thought they were getting a solid bat from Seattle, not a .180 hitter with 6 extra base hits.

Second Base - KAZ MATSUI, Astros
Remember when he was going to be the next big Mets star? Now he is the the latest unemployed Astro.

Shortstop - TOMMY MANZELLA, Astros
Another sub .200 hitter in the Astros lineup. His OPS doesn't bust .500... and neither will the Astros!

Third Base - ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs
He has a hurt thumb, which would account for the .160 average and sub .500 OPS. Another unmovable Cub.

Left Fielder - CARLOS LEE, Astros
Yup. Another Astro. $19 million should buy you better than a .196 average, 5 homers and a .325 slugging percentage.

Center Fielder - CARLOS BELTRAN, Mets
The face of the Mets hasn't played a game all year. He's not even healthy enough to not swing at an Adam Wainwright pitch.

Right Fielder - MARK DeROSA, Giants
He was supposed to bring offense and versatility to the Giants line up. Instead he brought a .194 average, no power and a trip to the DL.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

Cather - GERALD LAIRD, Tigers
He was never an offensive powerhouse... but a .155 average? .237 slugging? Yikes!

First Base - CASEY KOTCHMAN, Mariners
He used to flirt with .300. Now he is hitting .196. But his 3 homers almost is tops with the MarinerS!

Second Base - BRIAN ROBERTS, Orioles
The One time legit All Star wasn't producing before an abdominal injury sidelined him.

Shortstop - ADAM EVERETT, Tigers
A .197 average and .258 slugging percentage an All Star does not make.

Third Base - BRANDON WOOD, Angels
The perennial prospect is hitting .156 with an OPS of .381.

Left Fielder - MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners
To the surprise of nobody, he hasn't produced. He at least has asked for help.

Center Fielder - GRADY SIZEMORE, Indians
He's a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. But this year he's hitting .211 with a .560 OPS, no power and languishing on the disabled list.

Right Fielder - MATT LaPORTA, Indians
The the Brewers sell the Indians a bill of goods? They certainly didn't sell them the slugger they thought they were getting.

Designated Hitter - PAT BURRELL, Rays
The Burrell in Tampa Bay experiment ended with his release after only 16 homers over a year and 2 months.



There you have it. Three ballots... three different thought processes.

Vote often. Vote insanely.
It's the American Way!